1941 Buick Roadmaster Coupe Convertible

Engine: 320ci Fireball Straight Eight 165 HP
Transmission: 3 Speed Manual
Mileage: 294 Exempt Miles
Exterior Color: Sequoia Cream
Interior Color: Burgundy Leather
Exterior Condition: Excellent
Interior Condition: Excellent
Frame Off Restoration By Nationally Known Buick Expert Doug Seybold
Top Award Winner

There are a lot of people who say that John DeLorean invented the muscle car with the GTO. But looking back a little farther, what would you call an intermediate-sized car with the biggest engine, factory dual carburetors, 3.90 gears, and a ram air intake, all wrapped in a cool 2-door convertible body? If that isn’t a muscle car, I don't know what is, and all of that perfectly describes the 1941 Buick Roadmaster.

This '41 Roadmaster convertible coupe, model number 76C, has received a frame-off restoration by noted 1940-41 Buick expert, Doug Seybold. Sequoia Cream was actually a 1940 color and not on the official color charts in 1941, but at that time, you could get any color in the GM catalog on your new Buick for a small extra charge, so Sequoia Cream is technically correct. The bodywork has been done to show standards, and this car has already won top awards from the BCA and AACA. Chrome and stainless has been completely refinished and remains in show condition. This car also sports a set of accessory fog lamps mounted to the front splash apron, as well as optional fender skirts.

The interior shows you why Buick was at the top of their game in 1941, with gorgeous engine-turned panels for the gauges and glove box. The gauges are cast in cream-colored plastic that matches the steering wheel and interior knobs, and they all work correctly. The chrome center stack houses the speaker for the Sonomatic AM radio, and two columns of pull-out switches control things like the headlights, heater and defroster, fog lamps, and the cigarette lighter. Leather was standard on convertibles in 1941, and the Seybold team has re-created leather that exactly matches the original factory materials. The black canvas top is power actuated using a vacuum motor, as is the power antenna, and it is covered by a matching black canvas boot when folded. In back, the trunk has been lined in the correct checked fabric and houses a matching Dante Red spare wheel and wide whitewall tire.

In 1941, Buick was building the most powerful production engine in the US, the 320 cubic inch Fireball Eight. With "Compound Carburetion" that used two 2-barrel Stromberg carburetors, it cranked out 165 horsepower and 278 pounds of torque, more than enough to push the Roadmaster to 100 MPH and beyond. Bathed in correct Dante Red paint, the big straight-8 has been fully rebuilt and drives superbly. It fires up quickly by depressing the accelerator all the way to the floor, and idles with a muscular rumble from the single exhaust pipe. On the open road, it cruises easily at modern highway speeds, and the 3-speed manual transmission slips easily through the gears using little more than your fingertips. The chassis features Buick's torque tube drive, which allowed the use of sophisticated coil springs front and rear, along with long control arms, front and rear anti-sway bars, and a Panhard rod. Wheels are 15-inch stamped steel pieces wearing correct 7.00-15 wide whitewall bias-ply tires.

Looking at this car, it’s obvious that the stylists in 1941 knew they were building something special. Detailing is exceptional, performance is exhilarating, and the car rides and handles like a vehicle half its age. Buick's combination of the most powerful engine with the most sophisticated suspension is undoubtedly why GM forced Buick out of the luxury car market after the war, due to complaints from Cadillac management. The Roadmaster convertible coupe is arguably the most valuable of all 1941 Buicks, and they are exceedingly rare today. Restored by the best name in the business and 100% functional, it is an investment that can be driven and enjoyed without worries.